title: Clinicoepidemiologic features of chronic urticaria in patients having positive versus negative autologous serum skin test: a study of 100 Indian patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Chronic urticaria patients who demonstrate autoantibodies against the high-affinity receptor of IgE (FceRI) or IgE itself tend to have a high itch and wheal score, and systemic symptoms may have a significant bearing on their management in terms of super pharmacologic doses of antihistamines needed or use of immunomodulators. Most studies have used histamine release assays rather than autologous serum skin tests (ASSTs) for correlating urticaria severity and histamine releasing activity.
  
  
  METHODS
  An ASST was performed in 100 (M:F, 31:69) chronic urticaria patients aged between 14 and 63 (mean, 32.69 ± 13) years with an objective to study the clinicoepidemiologic features like age, sex, age of onset and duration, frequency and distribution of wheals, urticaria severity, angioedema and systemic manifestations in ASST-positive and ASST-negative patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  ASST was positive in 46% of the patients and negative in 54% of the patients, respectively. Both groups showed no statistically significant difference for epidemiological details. However, the ASST-positive patients had a higher mean urticaria activity score, frequent involvement of more body sites, particularly palms and soles, presence of throat angioedema and general constitutional, respiratory or gastrointestinal symptoms in comparison with the ASST-negative patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Apparently, ASST-positive patients have more severe clinical manifestations of chronic urticaria. The knowledge will be useful for the treating dermatologists and patients alike in view of its therapeutic implications.
authors.affiliation: Department of Dermatology, Venereology and Leprosy, Indira Gandhi Medical College, Shimla-171 001, Himachal Pradesh, India.
authors.forename: Surbhi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Vohra
authors.forename: Nand Lal
authors.initials: NL
authors.lastname: Sharma
authors.forename: Vikram K
authors.initials: VK
authors.lastname: Mahajan
authors.forename: Vinay
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Shanker
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007194:India / Q000453:epidemiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012882:Skin Tests / Q000379:methods; D014581:Urticaria / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology*; D055815:Young Adult